Homeopathy and herbalism

People sometimes confuse homeopathy and herbalism because both systems use herbs as medicines. Their methods of preparing these materials, however, are very different. The herbalist may use an age-old formula for making a herb tea or a poultice, but can also improvise in the manner of an experienced cook departing from a recipe. As one herbalist expressed it, " Herbalism is more an art and a tool of divine nature than a science... It is very difficult for a herbalist to tell specifically why he would use this or that herb in a formula". In this system that depends on the herbalist's intuition and experience, it is standard practice to increase the effect of a formula by combining a number of herbs.

This " artistic" approach to preparing medicine has its dangers. A great many medicinal herbs are toxic, particularly when the person ingests a large amount. But the self-help herbalist has no way of knowing what constitutes a " safe" dose, since this information is seldom provided in herb books. In the Journal of the American Medical Association, a doctor recently reported three cases of poisoning, one fatal, resulting from three young women, independently dosing themselves with large amounts of oil from the pennyroyal plant.

Homeopathy bears no relation to the free-spirit approach and practices of herbalism. Homeopathy is scientific medicine; its rules developed by following the procedures of the scientific method. Homeopathic medications are prepared according to an exact process and prescribed according to the law of similars. A physician usually administers only a single remedy at one time. Finally, although many homeopathic remedies are made from poisonous herbs or plants, the potentized remedy contains only minute amounts of the original substance and is nontoxic.

Упражнение 7. Прочтите вслух глаголы to be и to have в формах настоящего, прошедшего и будущего времени.

Present (today, usually) Past (yesterday, last year) Future (tomorrow, soon)

I am, have I was, had I shall be/have

he is, has he was, had we shall be/have

she is, has she was, had you will be/have

we are, have we were, had he will be/have

you are, have you were, had she will be/have

they are, have they were, had they will be/have

Упражнение 8. Прочтите следующие предложения и назовите время, в котором стоит сказуемое.

1. We have two or three lectures every day.

2. They didn’t have classes yesterday.

3. Will you be busy tomorrow?

4. My grandparents were both physicians.

5. He has a lot of work to do on Wednesday.

6. She is a part-time student.

7. We’ll have a field trip in botany after the summer examination session.

8. They were happy to win the game.

Контрольно–обобщающие упражнения

Упражнение 9. Часто бывает, что во время разговора с иностранцами они просят назвать по буквам некоторые слова. Вас могут попросить назвать по буквам:

а) ваше имя; б) название вашей фирмы; в) название улицы в вашем адресе, а также назвать ваши телефонные номера (рабочий и домашний). Проверьте себя, сможете ли вы это сделать.

Упражнение 10. В каком столбике во всех словах гласные читаются как в алфавите? В каком столбике гласные произносятся кратко?

Упражнение 11. В каком столбике во всех словах гласные читаются как сложные звуки? В каком столбике все гласные читаются как долгие звуки?

a) black b) nurse с) burner d) pure

herb drug report care

zinc effect large interfere

trace dose stir fire

take many serve prepare

Упражнение 12. Найдите в каждом столбике слово, которое читается не по общему для данного буквосочетания правилу, и назовите его.

a) spoon b) count с) allow d) grey

room about powder they

tool amount law convey

blood double gown survey

food mouse flower either

cool boundary brown vein

Упражнение 13. В каком столбике буквосочетание ea произносится во всех словах как [i: ]? В каком столбике во всех словах оно произносится как [e]?

a) eat b) easy с) peach d) bread

breath neatly weather head

team dream dead sweat

threat please seal health

ready each tea spread

speak leak breathe pleasant

Упражнение14. Выберите в каждом случае английское предложение, эквивалентное русскому.

1. У пациента болел зуб.

a) The patient has a toothache.

b) The patient had a toothache.

c) The patients have a toothache.

2. Кафедра иностранных языков находится на третьем этаже.

a) The Foreign Languages Department has 3 floors.

b) The Foreign Languages Department was on the 2nd floor.

c) The Foreign Languages department is on the 2nd floor.

3. Студенты были в деканате.

a) The students was in the dean's office.

b) The students were in the dean's office.

c) The students are in the dean's office.

Урок 2